"Yes", I said, as we stepped out of a cab on Manhattan's Amsterdam Avenue, outside the faded shopfront of the humble 100-year-institution that is the Barney Greengrass salted fish store and cafe. "This really is the place".
There hadn't been a lot of time to run through our dining itinerary for a five full day visit to New York with friends Gail, Jane and Lesley (aka "the glampers"). Culture shock's best served first thing in the morning anyway and what better way to immerse ourselves in the true flavor of New York than first day breakfast at this classic, old Jewish deli open since 1908?
Famous for its range of smoked fish, traditional, no-frill surrounds and not taking credit cards, Barney Greengrass was top of my list for breakfasts in the big apple and it certainly did not disappoint.
The waitstaff was, I think, equally entertained by our table of seasoned California girls with its motley arrangement of some-more-than-others Americanized English accents and a (valid) gluten-free request.
On the menu in the dining room are bagels, bagels and yet more bagels, hot egg sandwiches, caviar (the original shabby chic), signature smoked fish platters, soups, salads and lots of coffee.
According to Tracy Kaler of the West Side Rag: "More than a century after its opening, Barney Greengrass is still the go-to establishment for the freshest smoked and cured fish in New York City. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, Gary Greengrass runs the show at the “Sturgeon King” six days a week on the Upper West Side.
On weekends, customers flock to the quintessential deli for an assortment of Nova Scotia salmon, house-cured gravlox, whitefish, egg scrambles, bagels, and the tastiest potato latkes in Manhattan. Lines are out the door; Greengrass followers come from near and far for a piece of old New York history, and a plate of Jewish soul food".
Barney Greengrass is located at 541 Amsterdam Avenue at 86th Street, New York, NY 10024.
Open Tuesdays through Sunday 8 am to 6 pm.
Dining room is open Tuesday through Friday 8:30 am - 4:00 pm and Saturdays and Sundays 8.30 am - 5 pm.
Though fully fortified for a visit to the Frick Collection, housed in a glorious mansion from the gilded age on the other side of Central Park, I wasn't quite prepared for such an astonishing range of exquisite art. Several friends have shared repeatedly how this is their favorite of New York's dazzling array of museums, yet seeing and spending time there really is believing. This sublime, historic collection includes masterpieces of European painting, major works of sculpture, eighteenth-century French furniture and porcelain, old master and nineteenth-century works on paper, Limoges enamels and other works of rare quality.
The collection is housed in the New York City mansion built by Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919), one of America's most successful industrialists. Sixteen permanent galleries offer artworks arranged without regard to period or national origin, according to Mr. Frick's enjoyment of his beloved art. Lucky for us that he bequeathed the house, set back from Fifth Avenue and his collection to the public.
The Frick Collection is located at 1 East 70th Street, New York, NY 10021.
- Adults: $20
- Seniors (65 and over): $15
- Students (with valid identification): $10
- Children under ten are not admitted to the Collection
On Sundays, pay what you wish from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Back through Central Park, late afternoon weather in early December was decidedly still on the Fall calendar. Hats and scarves stayed in suitcases the full five days.
Holiday window shopping en-route to the theater to see "An American in Paris" — which proved a pleasing stage arrangement, set, score and choreography for those of us not as keen musical theater as others.
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